To Have and Protect
by Lady Koneko Shin-Chan
Summary: It was the beginning of their sixth year at Hogwarts, and so far, everything was going just fine... but things quickly change. Slash warning. WIP.
1. Double Potions be Damned

Disclaimer -   
    All characters in this story belong to the greatly talented writer J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Bros. and all are being used without knowledge and permission. This story shall eventually lead off into shounen ai slash, which translates into a romantic boy/boy story. Snogging shall eventually appear, so please consider yourself warned. This is my very first Harry Potter fan fic, and my very first non-anime related fic, but defiantly nowhere near my first attempt at fan fic writing.   
    Now, since no one came here to read this, on with the story,   
Lady Koneko   
=^._.^=   


Harry Potter   
To Have and Protect 

Prologue   
'Into the Beginning' 

    The door to the potions classroom silently swung open then closed under the pale had of a slender form in a black robe. After a long, silent minute of waiting, the hand lifted from the knob and the dark figure silently ghosted across the room, carefully weaving through the desks. Halfway through the room, off to the left, the figure paused, tilting its head to one side, listening. Silence prevailed, and the figure dipped its pale had into its robes and pulled out a small glass vial containing a softly glowing, milky white fluid. With an evil grin, the stopper was popped off and half the milky liquid was poured into the cauldron sitting on the worktable in front of him. The vial was quickly but carefully re-stoppered and tucked back into a pocket in the robes; then the figure carefully picked up the cauldron, the milky-white glow causing the pewter to shine. Gently, with a clockwise motion, the figure tipped the cauldron back and fourth, swirling the liquid in the cauldron, coating the sides, until the glow dissipated and the milky liquid turned transparent in the cauldron. Once the figure was satisfied that no one would be able to tell the cauldron had been tampered with, he sat it down exactly as he found it and gave it a satisfied look. Then quickly the robed figure went to the door, pale hand reaching for and grasping the knob. The door swung open, but before exiting, the robed figure couldn't resist one last look back into the classroom, at the cauldron. 

    With a decidedly evil gleam in his silver-gray eyes, Draco Malfoy silently shut the door behind him. 

Chapter One   
'Double Potions be Damned' 

    It was the beginning of their sixth year at Hogwarts, and so far, everything was going just fine. Of course, they had to consider the fact that this ~_was_~ the very beginning of their sixth year, leaving plenty of time for unexpected and unpleasant things to occur. Their summer break -and surprisingly enough- their fifth year of school, had passed by rather uneventfully. Voldemort and his followers had not made a yearly visit, the first time in four years, and naturally none could say they missed him. There was some speculation (some idle, some not) on his activities and whereabouts, but as far as Harry, Ron and Hermione were concerned, no news was good news. As long as he and his hadn't come to try to kill Harry, they were all happy (especially Harry). 

    The three of them spent the week before school started at The Burrow together, enjoying the last few days of their summer break and finishing the last of their summer homework (Well, not quite. Ron had two potions scrolls to finish, Hermione was re-writing a paper for History of Magic -it was now two scrolls longer than required- and Harry spent his time reading the newly released, updated volume 'Flying With the Cannons II' as he had finished all his homework and wasn't planning on re-writing anything). One thing they had all agreed on was to visit Hagrid and get him to tell them what he planned to spring on them for their class project in Care of Magical Creatures. After last year, none of them wanted any surprises. 

    The class project last year were hydras, which were legal in England as long as they were used in an educational manner (various parts of they hydra were quite sought after for magical potions and hydras were listed on the Endangered Mystical Species list so they were regulated by the Ministry of Magic) and as long as they were not adult (as adult hydras were as hard to control as dragons, but were pretty nice -relatively speaking- as youngsters). They had a bad feeling that Hagrid, buoyed by his personal belief that they had handled the hydras with flying colors, was going to pick another highly dangerous animal for them to take care of. The baby hydras was more than the class had wanted to deal with, and all felt that they had been lucky to finish the class with their lives (and limbs). Malfoy had been his usual, disagreeable self, much to the Gryffindors chagrin, and had made noises all year about telling his father what they were going through, how dangerous it was, how Hagrid should be replaced and a bunch of other rot. Harry, Ron and Hermione knew that nothing would come from it, and Harry had the feeling that Malfoy knew it as well, but that didn't stop him from making noises about it, especially after three heads of the hydra that Harry, Ron and Hermione were taking care of took a great fancy to Malfoy and wanted to get as near to him as possible, much to the upset of the blonde Slytherin, the three Gryffindors and five of the other heads. The ninth head had taken an immediate dislike to Malfoy (however it just adored Ron) and was all for getting as near to the blonde as possible. When the hydras were sent back to Greece, the entire class nearly threw a party, the only thing stopping it being that the Gryffindors and the Slytherins hated each other with a passion and wouldn't do anything together, even celebrating surviving their fifth year of Care of Magical Creatures. 

    The ride to Hogwarts went by uneventfully, which should have singled to ~_someone_~ at least that something bad was looming on the horizon. Harry had been the only one to see Malfoy before the Hogwarts Express left the station, and that was when they were crossing the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters. Due to how busy the station was, they were crossing one at a time, and Harry had insisted that Ron and Hermione go before him. While he was waiting for his chance to cross, he had seen Malfoy enter the station, wheeling his cart toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten. He has seen Harry, scowled darkly, and to Harry's amazement, shrugged and walked toward him. He had stopped twenty feet from Harry, given him a brief, acknowledging nod, and had then proceeded to ignore him. Harry was trying to figure out what was with Malfoy, when a muggle bumped into him, knocking him slightly off balance and reminding him of what he was suppose to be doing. In a moment, he had slid through the barrier, furious at himself for being distracted by the Slytherin and giving him a chance to needle him. It was a given, Harry knew, that Malfoy was going to comment on what had just happened on the train ride to Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione were waiting for him, and before long the three of them had made themselves comfortable in a private compartment. Ginny had joined them, and before long, they were on their way north to Hogwarts. Before any of them knew it, the lady with the candy cart was making her way through the train, and Malfoy and his goons had not made an appearance. They had spent some time after that (but not much) commenting on it, before going back too much more enjoyable topics of conversation. The rest of the day had gone peacefully enough, and only Harry was wondering what was with Malfoy when they retired for the night. 

    The first day of class was not a promising day, as the first class of the day was Double Potions with the Slytherins, and it was, as far as Ron was concerned, the absolute worst way to start the week. Harry agreed with him, but if any of them (even Hermione) had known what was in store for them that day, they would have traded off going to class for the day and taken a week of Filch detention without question or complaint. 

* * * * * 

    "I can't believe this," Ron growled, slouching low in his chair next to Harry. "Double Potions with the Slytherins first thing, what a way to start the week." Harry nodded absently, not really paying attention to what his best friend was saying, for the sixth time that morning. He was still wondering what Malfoy was up to, and was starting to become concerned. He had been sure that, had known that, Malfoy was going to make derogatory comments to him on the train. It was a yearly tradition after all. And after that incident in the station well, he had not been looking forward to the yearly verbal slinging match. But it had never occurred. Then nothing had happened after their arrival, or during the Sorting Ceremony, and today during breakfast, Malfoy had completely ignored him... well... with the exception of one, vicious, smug smirk when he had noticed that Harry watching him. Malfoy had changed his methods, and Harry was rather worried of what was in store for him. 

    "Yaaaaaahhhhhh..." Harry's attention was grabbed by Neville's scream as he lost control of his legs and crashed into his and Ron's table; then careened into the table next to theirs, knocking the school caldrons that had been set out for them onto the ground. Behind them, near the door, Blaze smirked as he sat his wand down on the table and Pansy and several other Slytherins snickered nastily. Hermione and a variety of other Gryffindors glared at them and Hermione pulled out her wand, taking off the Jelly-leg curse that Blaze had placed on Neville. 

    "Bloody gits, all of them," Ron muttered as he and Harry gathered up the caldrons and put them back on the tables. "This is not going to a good day." They had barely slid back in their seats, Neville taking a seat at the table next to them, when Malfoy, flanked as usual by Crabbe and Goyle, made his grand entrance. Malfoy quickly scanned the room, smirked nastily without commenting when his gaze fell on Harry, and sat at the table directly behind Neville. Goyle sat next to him, and Crabbe, with a disgruntled expression on his face, sat next to Pansy, who was now wearing her own disgruntled look. Rumor had it that this year she was going for broke and making a decided move for Malfoy. 

    "You know," Hermione leaned over from where she was sitting next to Harry, a frown on her face. "Malfoy has been acting a bit odd this year." Harry glanced over at her; eyebrows raised. Had she just realized that? Ron nodded in agreement. 

    "Quiet during breakfast, and no nasty comments in twenty-four hours. Something is up with the git." They both looked at Harry, who shrugged. 

    "He hasn't done anything yet, but I am sure he is planning something." The three friends looked at each other, then all glanced over at Malfoy, who was calmly sitting in his chair, a serene look on his face. All three shuddered. 

    "Now if that isn't creepy, I don't know what is," Ron muttered. Harry and Hermione both nodded. That kind of look, on Malfoy's face... ohhh... Whatever he was planning, it was going to be horrid... 

    And they all knew it was going to be directed at Harry. 

* * * * * 

    The moment class was to begin, the door to Professor Snape's office opened and Snape strode into the classroom, his eyes quickly going over the class to see if everyone was present and accounted for. He noted a worried look on his least favored trio of Gryffindors, and a satisfied look on young Malfoy's face, and knew that something was going to be occurring in his class. He knew not what (except that it was going to befall Potter and his friends), but whatever Malfoy had planned had better not disrupt the class. He came to stand behind his desk and gave the class an icy look. 

    "Class, as this is your sixth year, you are now going to attempt," here he sneered at the class, pausing a moment at his three lease favored students before continuing, "the brewing of the more advanced and delicate," here Snape favored Neville a very cold look, which caused the Gryffindor to swallow nervously, "of potions. By paying attention this year," another cold glare was directed out at the students, this time at Harry and Ron, "you will be able to master all that stands before you. If not," the glare was once again directed at Neville, who was looking pasty and obviously wishing he could crawl under his table and hide, "you shall be spending much of the school year in the hospital wing. Have I made myself clear?" 

    All the Gryffindors (and surprisingly enough) the Slytherins all mutely nodded, with the exception of Neville, who had just given a strangled moan from where he had sunk down in his chair. It was by no stretch of the imagination on where he was going to be spending his time this year. 

    "Good," Snape murmured, noting with satisfaction the uneasy looks on all his students' faces. "Due to the nature of the potion we shall start brewing today, you shall all use the school cauldrons. This potion requires a three-week settling time before the second stage ingredients can be added. The potion we shall be working on is the Potion of Coronius. Can anyone tell me the importance of the Potion of Coronius?" 

    Like a shot, Hermione's hand was in the air. Unsurprisingly, hers was the only one. 

    "Can anyone besides _Granger_," Snape drew her name out with great disliking and she dropped her hand, "tell me the importance of the Potion of Coronius?" He gave the class a quick once over. "Malfoy." 

    Everyone turned to look at Snape's favorite student. Harry saw a strange look flash through Malfoy's eyes, but it was gone before he was able to identify it. But in a sudden, surprising burst of insight, he had a feeling that it had something to do with how Malfoy had been acting. A cold shiver frizzled down his spine. 

    "The Potion of Coronius is the most powerful potion of protection that a wizard can make," Malfoy said slowly, obviously picking out his words with care. Harry's eyes narrowed and he watched Malfoy carefully. "When properly utilized, it can drive away most all dark creatures, and can protect a wizard from all but the most powerful of dark magics." 

    The class was silent as they digested this information. Snape smiled at the blonde. "Correct Malfoy, five points to Slytherin." Malfoy nodded, but did not smile. "The brewing of the Potion of Coronius is very difficult, taking eight months to brew, with ingredients being added at four different intervals. Can anyone tell me the most important ingredient?" Once again, Hermione raised her hand, slower this time than before. Snape didn't even look at her. His gaze instead focused on Ron. "Weasley." 

    "Umm..." Ron stuttered and Snape immediately jumped on him. "Five points from Gryffindor for not being prepared," he snapped. "Malfoy." 

    Harry turned and looked at Malfoy. That look was in his eyes again. He glanced at Harry, a look of indecision flashed across his face, and he spoke. "A white crow feather." 

    Snape, who had not noticed the brief meeting of eyes between his favored and least favored student, nodded. "The feathers of white crows have natural protection properties, and are quite rare and," he treated the entire class with another chilling glare, "quite expensive. However due to a generous donation, we have enough feathers for each student to make the potion, without the aid of partners," he finished, a cold smirk dancing on his lips as he made that announcement. Near half the class looked ready to pass out -they had to brew this potion alone?- and Neville was two steps from having a stroke. Ron moaned, giving Harry a long-suffering look, which he returned with interest. Hermione just gave them a long look, then sighed, rolling her eyes. "The first stage ingredients are as follows..." and the entire class scrabbled for quill and parchment, with the notably exception of Hermione (who already had hers out) and Malfoy, who unobtrusively reached into his bag and pulled out a single piece of folded parchment and laid it on his desk. 

    The list of potions was quite long, but all ingredients were common enough that the students either had them or could acquire them from the student's cupboard. What was rather distressful for the students was, after listing of the exact measurements of the ingredients, Professor Snape looked across the class. "The formula must be followed ~_exactly_~ or not only will the potion not work, but in many cases will become a deadly poison or a highly volatile explosive." Then Snape grinned at them, scaring a good portion of the Gryffindors, as well as a good portion of the Slytherins. "Do be careful, and the first person to explode their cauldron shall loose twenty points from their house." At that Neville sunk almost completely under his desk and the Slytherins tittered. Snape frowned at the class. "Well, start your potions!" 

    There was a mad rustle as the students reached for their potions ingredients. Malfoy stood up and immediately made for the student cupboard, his own potion ingredients already laid out on the table. 

    "I can't believe that Snape is making us do this potion," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron. "This is usually reserved only for seventh year Advance Potion students. And it is dangerous." 

    "He already said that," Ron muttered absently, checking off his potions list and not asking how Hermione knew what potions were studied in the advanced class. Some things were best left unknown. Hmm... Monkshood root, newt toes, flax seeds, ummm... hummm... 

    "I mean," Hermione continued, taking out her own ingredients, "the first part of the potion is moderately harmless, it can be used for the basis of many other potions, curatives and transfiguration potions for example, it is at the later stages that mistakes in brewing make the potion so dangerous to prepare..." 

    "Ummm... hummm..." Ron nodded, not really paying any attention as he continued to check off his list of potion ingredients. Toad tears, an infusion of St. John's Wart, knotweed... 

    "Malfoy is up to something." 

    Hermione stopped whispering and Ron stopped gathering his ingredients. Both turned and stared at Harry. 

    "What?" Ron whispered back, feeling like he had missed something. "What are you talking about?" 

    "Malfoy knows about this potion," Harry whispered, his eyes flicking over to where Malfoy was measuring out his ingredients. He was ahead of the rest of the class, Harry had noted, because, unlike the rest of them, he had already had all his other ingredients ready when Snape had finished talking. "I think whatever he is planning has something to do with it. Did you see how he looked when Snape called him on it?" Ron and Hermione shook their heads. 

    "Don't worry Harry," Hermione said finally. Unlike Ron, she hadn't stopped when Harry had started on about Malfoy and was ready to make the trip to the student's cupboard herself. "Whatever he is planning, he can't use the potion at this stage, and for him to use it for any other type of potion, he would have to get into Snape's private stores, and we all know how hard that is." 

    Harry sighed as Hermione gave him a comforting look. He returned to his list and soon enough he and Ron had started brewing their potions. They carefully paid attention to the formula, being especially careful not to add too much or too little, and being sure to add everything in the correct order. The potion turned an alarming green after the knotweed was added, and then five drops of toad tears while stirring counter-clockwise. The potion was to turn a soft green; then it would be time to add the Devil's Snare sap. Up to this point, everything seemed to be going okay; then Neville mixed up the infusion of St. John's Wart with the Devil's Snare sap and added three drops too little four ingredients too soon. Neville was already concerned with his potion, because he knew that it wasn't supposed to be chartreuse, but he had continued on, hoping for the best. It was still a shade of green, after all. 

    Unfortunately for him, Neville's potion had been doomed from the start. Once the St. John's Wart was added, his potion began to bubble violently and noisily, drawing the entire classes' attention to him. At his desk, Snape's lips tightened and he began to stand. Then things seemed to happen in rapid motion. With a loud bang that nearly deafened the class, Neville's potion exploded out of the cauldron in a dark yellow mushroom shaped cloud that billowed up to the ceiling and rolled toward the back of the classroom. Neville immediately collapsed in a heap under his table in fear. An alarmed look swept across Snape's face as he hurried to Neville's table, wand drawn. Something had gone horridly wrong. A look of terror was on Goyle's face as the cloud rolled above him, and he stumbled out of his chair in a panic to reach the other side of the class. The chair struck Malfoy, who had also decided that this side of the class was no longer safe to work in, and knocked him backward. This turned out to be a critical delay, as in the time it took Malfoy to regain his balance and knock Goyle's chair out of his way, the cloud collapsed on him completely hiding him from view.   


To be continued... 


	2. Little Draco Malfoy

Disclaimer -   
    All characters in this story belong to the greatly talented writer J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Bros. and all are being used without knowledge and permission. This story shall eventually lead off into shounen ai slash, which translates into a romantic boy/boy story. Snogging shall eventually appear, so please consider yourself warned. This is my very first Harry Potter fan fic, and my very first non-anime related fic, but defiantly nowhere near my first attempt at fan fic writing.   
    Now, since no one came here to read this, on with the story,   
Lady Koneko   
=^._.^=   


Harry Potter   
To Have and Protect 

Chapter Two   
'Little Draco Malfoy'   


    The class drew back in horror as Malfoy was enveloped in the yellow cloud, which seemed to seethe and writhe around him. Snape, with a very grim look on his face, directed his wand at the cloud and quickly muttered a dispelling spell. The cloud almost seemed to recoil as the spell struck it; then it turned a silvery white and faded away. The grim look on Snape's face collapsed and the entire class gasped in shocked horror and amazement at what was reveled. Malfoy was still standing where he had been when the cloud, well, attacked him, but he seemed to have shrunk several feet, now standing much the same height as a young child. In fact, he looked very childish indeed, with his robes hanging loose around his neck and shoulders, long over his hands and puddled around his feet and a bewildered look in his eyes. The Slytherins nearest to Malfoy cautiously stood up and stepped away, afraid of what Malfoy would do once he realized that he had been shrunk and not wanting to be in the line of fire. All the Slytherins, that is, except Pansy Parkinson, who screeched out Draco's name an lunged at him, arms spread in what she thought was a comforting manner. Unfortunately for her, this was apparently not the impression that Malfoy had gotten, for at her shriek and lunge the strange hazed look in Malfoy's eyes faded, and he dove away from Pansy, toward Professor Snape. The Gryffindors watched in a mixture of mute shock and surprise as little Malfoy glanced up at the figure in front of him, and with a panicked look adverted to the left, diving under Harry and Ron's table. As the small body struggled to crawl under the table, hampered by his trailing robes, Pansy pulled herself out of the chair she had crashed into because she was unable to stop her lunge when her target disappeared and had painfully made contact with Malfoy's chair. 

    Meanwhile Ron and Harry, who were still seated at their table, had to deal with sharing leg space with Malfoy. Ron jerked back as Malfoy stumbled over his robe and banged into Ron's leg, he then lost his balance and crashed to the floor, his elbow making painful contact with Ron's sneaker-covered foot. Ron jerked back violently with a pained howl, crashing into the table behind him and a low-pitched cry came from under the table, much like a kitten. Harry slid his chair back and bent over to look under the table. Malfoy was sprawled on the cold stone floor, face pale and blood on his chin. He sighed, apparently Malfoy scraped his chin when he fell, and ran his hand through his hair. Then a pair of scared, pain-filled eyes met with his, a child's eyes, and Harry slid out of his chair onto the floor and pulled little Malfoy out from under his table before he realized what he was doing. 

    "Malfoy, come here," Snape demanded, wand still out. His eyes were burning coldly and his hand was clenched around his wand so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. He was nearly shaking in his fury. Malfoy, unable to tell that the fury of the tall (and as far as he was concerned) scary man was not directed at him looked up at Harry, then back at Snape, then latched his small hands onto Harry's robes and buried his face into Harry's chest. 

    The rest of the class gasped in shock. Malfoy had climbed into Harry's lap and was latched to him like he was never planning on letting go. 

    "Ummm..." Harry looked down at the blonde head, then up at the furious look on Snape's face. He struggled to get to his feet, holding the small body close to his. 

    "Bring him here Potter," Snape growled. Malfoy shivered slightly and tightened his grip on Harry's robes. With a sigh of resignation (he really didn't want to go to Snape) he walked the few feet and came to stand before the Professor. Snape frowned down at them, the tallish teen holding onto the small blonde; then he lifted his wand and whispered a spell under his breath. A blue arc of light emanated from the tip and surrounded the duo, then changed to a soft lavender. A quick look of surprise flashed across the potions professor's face before his usual sneer took over. 

    "Potter, you will accompany me to the hospital wing. The rest of you will properly dispose of your now ruined potions" Snape paused to glare at each and every student. In the excitement of Neville's potion exploding and the aftereffects, everyone had forgotten to watch over their own potions. His gaze stopped at Neville, who was still under his table. "Except you, Longbottom." Neville shivered at the icy voice directed at him. "You shall leave everything on your table as it is. Do ~_not_~ touch a thing." His tone conveyed that many a horrid thing would happen to him if he did, and Neville shivered in fear. Snape turned and glared at the rest of the class. "Once everything is in order, all of you are excused from class." Silence filled the room at Snape's announcement. Never, no matter what potion had been messed up, had the entire class been excused before. Ignoring his shocked students, Snape motioned for Harry to walk ahead of him, and the three of them left the room, Harry feeling suspiciously like a prisoner being escorted to his doom for some reason. In his arms, little Malfoy snuggled against Harry's chest, a small, hidden smile curving his lips as he closed his eyes. 

    The class watched in silence as the three wizards left the potions classroom and the heavy wooden door close ominously behind them. They stood that way for several minutes; then Ron turned to Hermione. 

    "Well, he didn't say anything about the twenty points." 

    Hermione stared at Ron for a moment in disbelief, her lips tightening into two white lines. She stared at him for a few minutes more, fighting to keep from saying something very unflattering. After a brief but difficult struggle she won, and turned away from Ron and started cleaning up her potions mess, shooting a stern look around the classroom to see if everyone else was doing the same. A loud scuffle filled the room as everyone got to work. Wisely, no one said anything. 

* * * * * 

    Meanwhile, Snape was hustling Harry to the hospital wing as fast as Harry could walk, considering he was carrying around forty pounds of Slytherin that was clinging to his chest. He was not happy with what had just happened in his classroom, and most defiantly not happy with what had just happened to his favorite student. He glared at the back of the young Gryffindor's head, knowing beyond a reason of a doubt that somehow this wouldn't have occurred if it weren't for Potter. In the normal event of things, there would have been no way Longbottom could have created a shrinking potion out of the beginnings of the Potion of Coronius, no matter how badly he had messed up. Ground hydra scales were required for a shrinking potion, and the only hydra scales were in his private stores. And Neville had added the knotweed, which reacted against hydra scales and would have negated the shrinking properties. And all shrinking potions had to be drank, the cloud formation signified that the potion had been a transfiguration potion, but for a transfiguration potion, the essential ingredients had to be prepared no less than a fortnight before use. And they didn't shrink people. But the spell he cast on Malfoy clearly stated that it had been a transfiguration potion. He growled deep in his throat as they turned down the last corridor. He was going to have to examine the remains in the cauldron and find out exactly what had happened, he glanced at the top of Malfoy's head, no matter what the results were. 

    They reached the hospital wing and Harry shuffled Malfoy in his grip until one hand was free to open the door. The moment he and Snape entered the room, Madam Pomfrey was upon them. She gave Harry, his blonde bundle and then Snape a searching look; then nodded to herself. 

    "Bring him over here Mr. Potter," she said softly, motioning to an empty bed. "Professor Snape, what has happened to him?" 

    They watched as Harry carefully pried two small hands off his robes and laid Malfoy on the bed. During the trip to the hospital wing, Malfoy had fallen asleep. "I am not sure," he replied quietly, so Potter couldn't hear them. "It looks as if Malfoy has been affected by a shrinking potion, but from what I can tell at this point, it was a transfiguration potion." 

    "Hmmmmmm..." Madam Pomfrey gave Snape a stern look, she had always felt that his methods of teaching were a bit risky; she would complain to the headmaster as soon as everything was stabilized here. She was getting tired of having Potions students in her infirmary when a little prudent caution could have been used and disaster adverted. She was not looking forward to young Longbottom's visits this year. 

    "Mr. Potter, thank you." Harry had stepped back from the bed, giving Malfoy a quick worried look. Pomfrey hid a smile; she had always known that Mr. Potter had a soft heart. "You may now return to class." 

    Harry nodded and quickly left the hospital wing, glad that Snape was paying more attention to Malfoy than him. 

* * * * * 

    Harry met up with Ron and Hermione while on the way to History of Magic, Harry coming from the direction of the Gryffindor dorm and Ron and Hermione coming from the library. Both Harry and Ron and Hermione had been looking for each other for the past half hour, but due to the various staircases and corridors, had managed to pass each other numerous times without even realizing it. They had barely enough time to nod to each other before entering the class and taking their seats. There would be plenty of time to talk after class started. Once everyone was settled, Professor Binn began his lecture, the rise and fall of Ys off the Normandy coast. As usual for the class, everyone made themselves comfortable and took a nap. Ron and Hermione shot Harry a quick look, and Harry nodded. Fortunately they were all seated next to each other, so they wouldn't have to pass notes. 

    "So," Ron hissed, making sure to keep his voice under the monotone drone of Professor Binn, "What's up with Malfoy?" 

    Harry shrugged. "Don't know," Harry whispered back. "He was asleep when we reached the Hospital wing, and they kicked me right out. Snape looked worried though." 

    "I still can't believe that Neville's potion did that," Hermione huffed softly. "The potion's reaction had all the earmarks of a transfiguration potion, but those take days to prepare, and the ingredients are hard to come by." 

    Harry frowned, and for some reason the way Malfoy had been acting sprang to mind. "Do you think that the potion was tampered with?" 

    Hermione looked thoughtful, thinking things over; then shook her head. "I don't see how anyone could have. Ingredients for a transfiguration potion would have to have been prepared before school even started. The main ingredient in a Coronius transfiguration potion is platypus venom, and because of how dangerous it is to use possession of it is regulated by the Ministry. Someone would have had to known in advance that we were doing that potion, then gone to the trouble and expense of gathering the ingredients, then preparing them, and then there is the problem of getting to the cauldron without anyone seeing..." Hermione shook her head; she could not see how it could have been done. And who would go to such trouble to tamper with Neville's potion in the first place? 

    Harry sighed and crossed his arms, resting his chin on them. Well, so much for that theory. Why would Malfoy tamper with Neville's potion? Ron nodded softly, unaware of Harry's thoughts, and noting that there wasn't much of anything else to say, settled down for his midmorning nap. Care for Magical Creatures was right after lunch, and he wanted to be rested up for it. Hermione looked at her two friends for a moment, sighed softly, and tuned into Professor Binn's lecture. 

* * * * * 

    _It was him again, the boy with the green eyes. He hadn't recognized him in Madam Malkin's, and had nearly kicked himself when he had awoken the next day, the memory of bright green eyes shining at him, a joy of living shining within them, and he had realized that he had finally seen them in reality, and had lost them. But here he was again, on the train, and sitting and talking Quidditch with a _~Weasley~_ of all people. It just made him sick. He had to get him back, but something went wrong and ~he~ turned him down. Later, as he thought the conversation through, he reluctantly admitted that his choice of topics might have been flawed, but that shouldn't have mattered! It was him and ~he~ denied him_

    The small blonde turned, whimpering slightly in his sleep. No one was there to see it; Madam Pomfrey had left a nurse in charge and had accompanied Snape to the headmaster's office to tell him what had happened to young Malfoy, but she was not as attentive as Madam Pomfrey was, and thus missed the soft sound. 

    _He hurt, and he was scared. He didn't know what had happened, except that there was yelling, and people frightened him, and now his chin hurt. He whimpered, and a face appeared, looking under the table he was hiding under; a boy with dark hair and green eyes was looking at him. Green eyes, those green eyes. His own silver-gray ones locked with them, and before he knew what was happening, the boy was kneeling on the stone floor next to him and pulling him up with a gentle look in those green eyes, the ones he missed so..._

* * * * * 

    Draco's eyes fluttered open, and he looked around the strange room. He frowned, his lower lip sticking out in a bit of a pout. Where was he? And where had the green eyes gone? He remembered nothing but the green eyes, the soft look in them, and warm arms holding him tightly, as if they would never let him go. He sniffled softly; he wanted them back. Draco looked around the room again, noting that no one was in sight. A speculative look crossed his face, and he pulled back the covers and slid his legs over the edge of the bed and slid off. His stocking clad feet made no noise as he landed softly on the stone floor; his shoes had been lost in the Potions classroom. With one last fugitive look around the hospital wing, the young boy darted to the door. If the green eyes weren't here, well, he would just go out and find them. 

* * * * * 

    It was an undetermined time later that something dragged Harry out of the half-sleep daze he often fell in to pass time in History of Magic. He blinked blurrily, Professor Binn droning in the background about another goblin war that was important for some reason or other, looking around the class. With the exception of Hermione and Dean, the rest of the class was sound asleep. Dean appeared to be in the same half-sleep state that he had been in, and Hermione, as usual, was wide-awake and paying avid attention to the lecture. Harry frowned, not seeing what had disturbed him, when he felt a soft tugging at the sleeve of his robe. He looked down, and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw a small, gray-eyed blonde looking up at him with a rather smug look on his face. 

    "Malfoy," Harry hissed, quickly looking around and making sure that no one was paying attention, "what are you doing here?" The Slytherin frowned up at Harry, his lower lip sticking out, and crossed his arms imperially. Absently Harry noted that while Malfoy's robes seemed to have been shrunk to fit, they still seemed a bit long, the hem brushing the floor and the sleeves falling halfway over his hands. "Well?" Harry prompted, wondering why Malfoy was staring at him when he should be in the hospital wing getting back to the proper size. 

    Malfoy's eyes narrowed, and his lower lip stuck out further in a sort of pout. "Draco," he finally said, his soft, childish voice barely carrying the distance to Harry. 

    Harry blinked. Needless to say, this was not what he had been expecting to hear. "What?" he hissed, his voice rising slightly. "Listen Malfoy, I have no idea what crazy idea is running through that head of yours, but if you don't want to get both of us detention, you will..." Harry's voice trailed to a stop as somehow Malfoy had squirmed into his lap and was now sitting with his back against his chest, looking up at him with the Malfoy smirk broad across his face. _What the hell?!?_

    "Hi," Malfoy said, then looked down and reached out and picked up _A History of Magic, the Sixth Volume_ and absently started leafing through it as though he hadn't a care in the world. It was all Harry could do not to leap up screaming. Instead he turned and looked behind him. Ron was sound asleep, using his book as a pillow and drooling slightly out of one corner of his mouth. No help there, though what help Ron would have offered was a mystery. His head turned slightly, and Harry's gaze fell on Hermione, who was so absorbed in the lecture that she hadn't noticed what was going on a mere three feet from her. Quickly he looked down at his unwanted visitor, happily absorbed watching Wendelin the Weird in one of her many disguises being burnt as a witch - for the twenty-seventh time. Harry reached out, and grabbed Hermione by the sleeve of her robe, and gave it an urgent tug. Hermione, not happy to be interrupted, batted at Harry's hand. With a firm look on his face, Harry tugged again, and Hermione turned to him to demand that he either return to his nap (knowing better than expecting him to pay attention to the lecture) or leave her alone when her eyes popped open and her jaw dropped like a landed fish. She gaped at the small blonde in Harry's lap; then looked up at him. 

    "What is he doing here!" she hissed, glancing around the class and up at Professor Binn. "And why is he in your lap?" 

    Harry waved his hands in the air. "How should I know?! He just appeared here!" 

    "And crawled into your lap," Hermione drawled, still deeply shocked but quickly coming out of it. "Well, he just can't stay there." Harry granted her an incredulous look. No kidding he couldn't stay here! "What are you going to do?" Harry stared at her, then down at Malfoy, who was flipping through the pages looking for more interesting pictures to look at. 

    "Ummm... I was kinda hoping you would have an idea" 

    "Errr..." Hermione grimaced, and both looked at the little Slytherin. "Malfoy!" she hissed. The blonde head looked up from the text and over at Hermione. "If you don't return to the hospital wing, you are going to" 

    "Not leaving," the blonde said, snuggling back into Harry's chest. Draco grabbed Harry's arm and draped it around him, holding on to it tightly as he graced Hermione with one of the Malfoy glares. It did not have the effect that it usually did, as it appeared to be coming from a four-year-old child rather than a sixteen-year-old git. Harry gave Hermione a desperate look, and she looked on helplessly. 

    "Madam Pomfrey is probably looking for him," Hermione said slowly a moment later after some deep thought. 

    "I should certainly hope so!" Harry muttered with feeling. 

    Draco had finished looking through the history text and was now looking around the classroom in avid interest, looking for something to do. His eyes fell on Harry's quill and ink, forgotten, and a piece of cream colored parchment that Harry had taken out for show to make it look as if he intended to take notes. With glee, Draco grabbed all three, and began to scribble. 

    "Don't do that!" Harry grabbed the quill and glared at Malfoy. What happened next shocked both him and Hermione. Malfoy's eyes grew wide; then he glared up at Harry, an angry pout on his face. But Harry could see tears in the silver-gray eyes as Malfoy turned away, facing away from Hermione. Without realizing it, he tightened his arm around Malfoy in a comforting manner and propped his chin on Malfoy's head, much like someone would to comfort a troubled child. Once again Hermione's jaw dropped. Any comment that she might have made was prevented by a soft cough from the door. Professor Binn stopped his lecture and he, Harry and Hermione turned to see who was interrupting the class. Dumbledore stood there, a bemused look on his face as he watched the actions of the two Gryffindors and the one Slytherin. 

    "Professor Binn," he said softly so he wouldn't disturb the sleep of the class. "I am afraid I must borrow Mister Potter and Mister Malfoy for the rest of the class." The ghost looked at the trio, trying to figure out where the Slytherin had come from and nodded. 

    "Meet you outside Dumbledore's office after class?" Hermione quickly whispered, glancing between Dumbledore and Harry. Harry looked up at the clock, saw that class was twenty minutes from being over and nodded. Quickly Harry gathered his stuff, placed it all in his bag, and with Malfoy in his arms got up and walked to the door. Dumbledore stepped aside, a grin dancing across his lips and closed the door behind them. 

To be continued... 


	3. A Child Amongst Us

Harry Potter   
To Have and Protect 

Chapter Three   
'A Child Amongst Us'   
  


    Disclaimer –   
All characters in this story belong to the greatly talented writer J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, and Warner Bros. and all are being used without knowledge and permission. This story shall eventually lead off into shounen ai slash, which translates into a romantic boy/boy story. Snogging shall eventually appear, so please consider yourself warned. More notes at the end of the chapter.   
Lady Koneko   
=^._.^=   
  


    Lunch turned out to be a rather edgy affair that day. Rumors were running wild back and forth between the Raven claws and the Hufflepuffs about what happened to Malfoy and why he missed Transfiguration. Many of the Slytherins were saying it was because of a deliberate attack by the Gryffindors, propagated by Potter and carried out by Longbottom to throw suspicion during Potions. The Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs did not believe the conspiracy theory, all knew Neville was on the wrong side of clumsy in the best of times (i.e. outside the Potions classroom and away from Professor Snape) and wouldn't trust him with something so important. Besides, that was a _~Slytherin~_ rumor, and those were to be taken with a grain of salt at the very least. A lot of talking was going on over at the Gryffindor table, talk about how Malfoy was attacked by a cloud and shrunk, that the cloud had came from Longbottom's cauldron, and that Malfoy had clung to Harry like a leech. They were having a hard time believing that one as well. While that a cloud attacked Malfoy and shrunk him was strange, it was well in the realm of believable possibility, as was the idea that it had come from Longbottom's cauldron. But Draco Malfoy…clinging to Harry Potter? His sworn enemy? Willingly? Not a chance. 

    Or so they all thought until Harry came to lunch with a mini Malfoy in his arms, Hermione and Ron on either side. The Great Hall went silent as everyone turned to the famed Gryffindor trio and Slytherin's most notorious student. Hermione was staring straight ahead, not seemingly paying attention to anything going on around her, but if one knew her well, they would have noticed that her eyes kept flicking between Harry and Malfoy and Ron, and that there was a tight cast of disapproval on her lips. One did not need to know Ron well at all to read him, the dark scowl on his face was apparent to all, as were the hard looks he kept directing at the little blonde. Harry was wearing a look that most everyone in the Great Hall had seen off and on during the last five years of school, he looked as if he would rather be anywhere else but here. There was also a faint blush of embarrassment highlighting his cheeks, something else that everyone had seen a time or two (or more) over the years. As for Malfoy, he was looking around the Great Hall in mild curiously from where his head laid on Harry's shoulder, his arms wrapped around the dark-headed Gryffindor's neck for balance, though all in the Hall could tell that the chance of Malfoy sliding out of Harry's firm grasp were slim. It seemed to a large number of people that Harry was actually _~cuddling~_ Malfoy to him. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs watched in mute silence as the small group quickly moved to the Gryffindor table and the Trio took their usual spots, with Malfoy insisting sitting on Harry's lap. All consideration for the previously mentioned rumors flew right out the window as everyone could tell they no longer had any barring on the situation now presented to them. Whispering started at the two neutral tables, and soon the noise level once again reached the level it had been in before The Entrance.   
  
* * * * *   


    "Well now," Hermione said in a low voice after the conversation in the room had returned to normal, "wasn't that fun." Harry and Ron both glared at her. The three of them had stood outside the door to the Great Hall, just outside of view for a few minutes, and had heard what the topic of the day was. They were not surprised, had been expecting it in fact, but when they had talked about it before class earlier, none of them had expected that they would be going to lunch _~with~_ Malfoy, and especially not with him in Harry's arms. 

    "I still can't believe that Dumbledore is making you watch over the little ferret!" Ron growled distastefully. Harry had told them, in hushed tones, about his meeting with Dumbledore; how that since Malfoy seemed so _~attached~_ to Harry that he would be responsible for him during lunch. Dumbledore had assured Harry that Madame Pomfrey would take Malfoy after lunch and would be watching over him until Snape could find a way to return Malfoy to normal. 

    "Ron!" Hermione hissed as Malfoy turned and directed the coldest glare he could at Ron. "Be nice to him. You heard what Harry said, what Dumbledore told him about Malfoy." Harry glanced down at the little blonde sitting in his lap. Draco had turned away from Ron and was now giving all his attention to the plate in front of him. When he had asked why Madam Pomfrey was watching him instead of letting Draco return to the Slytherin dorm, Dumbledore had told him something rather surprising. The potion had not been, as he and everyone else had first assumed, a shrinking potion. Draco had instead been turned into a child, his age regressed to that of a five year old, body and _~mind~_. That was why Draco was acting the way he was, he had no memories of his last five years of school, no memories of his friends, teachers, or the person he hated the most. He was the five-year-old that he had been eleven years ago, and Harry was quickly discovering that little Draco was vastly different from the Malfoy that he knew (and hated). 

    Around them the rest of the Gryffindors were staring at them, or more accurately, at Malfoy. Seamus, Dean and Neville were sitting closest to them (across from them, actually) and had naturally enough heard Hermione's hissed comment. "And what was that, Hermione?" Seamus quickly asked, his eyes flicking from Harry to Malfoy and back. 

    "Can't hurt to tell them," Ron muttered around a mouthful of food. Hermione gave him a disgusted look. "Everyone will be finding out soon enough." Seamus' eyes lit up and he, Dean and Neville leaned in close. Hermione turned to Harry to see if he wanted to be the one to tell their friends what had happened earlier -he was struggling with Malfoy for the possession of his lunch- particularly the large piece of chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting that Harry had served himself. Her lip twitched, partially in humor and partially in exasperation, and she turned to her three yearmates. 

    "Neville, your potion somehow transformed Malfoy back into a child. Dumbledore said that he is to eat lunch with us and then Madam Pomfrey will be taking over watching him until a counter potion is administered." 

    "Good going Neville!" Seamus clapped Neville hard on the back, nearly knocking him into his soup. "You did a Transfiguration Potion on Malfoy. Now we don't have to deal with the slimy git in class!" 

    Seamus was suddenly on the receiving end of three hot glares; one from Malfoy, which wasn't up to its usual standard because as a child he was too cute to carry it off well, one from Harry, who's arm had tightened around Malfoy's middle at the comment, and one from Hermione (who had not missed Harry's protective gesture). 

    "It was not a Transfiguration Potion," she declared empathically, looking sternly at him. "It was a Regression Potion. He did not _~become~_ a child, he was _~returned~_ to a state of childhood." Seamus and Neville blinked in confusion, but awareness dawned on Dean's face. "How old is he then?" he whispered, giving the Slytherin a searching look. Malfoy looked to be around four. 

    "Five," Harry said, his attention still on the small blonde in his lap. He had managed to get the cake away from Draco without making a mess (or with too big a fuss), but he was now absently giving the blonde child small bites of it with his fork in between his own bites of cake. Ron glanced over at Harry; saw what was happening, and promptly gagged on his roast beef and rye sandwich. 

    "And as such," Hermione said, absently whacking Ron on the back until he coughed up his bite of lunch that had gone down the wrong way, "we are to treat him as such. Malfoy has no memories of the last five years of school, or of any memories that happened after his sixth birthday." 

    "That means," Neville whispered softly, glancing at the blonde nervously but hopefully, "he doesn't remember whose cauldron exploded?" 

    "No," Ron said hoarsely between stray coughs. "And if you are really lucky, he won't remember after he gets returned to normal." 

    "When will that be?" Seamus quickly asked; his eyes dancing as he watched Malfoy. 

    "Dumbledore did not say," Harry said, setting the empty dessert plate aside and pouring Draco a small goblet of pumpkin juice, which he took with a smile. He took a sandwich for himself, cutting it in half and then in fourths after he noticed Draco's interest in the sandwich, and sat them on the plate before him, one fourth still in hand. "Dumbledore said that Snape would have to figure out exactly what caused the potion to explode in the first place before he could make a counter potion. Regression Potions seem to be rather tricky." 

    "Not for several weeks then, hmm?" Seamus cast Malfoy a speculative look. He was taking small, delicate bites out of the sections of roast beef sandwiches that Harry had cut, judiciously nibbling around the crusts. He could see some opportunities… Unfortunately for him he was not the only one seeing things and Dean swiftly sent him an elbow in the ribs to tell him what he thought of whatever it was that Seamus was planning. The Irish teen glared in a pouting sort of way at his best friend and went back to his lunch. 

    Things were peaceful enough for the next few minutes as everyone made inroads in their respective lunches (Harry quickly discovering to his chagrin that Draco had a strong aversion to carrots unless they were covered with ketchup) when everything went to pot with the arrival of Pansy Parkinson, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, who made their way across the Great Hall to where the Gryffindors and Draco were eating. 

    As the gathered Gryffindors looked up a the approaching Slytherins, Pansy quickly made it obvious why they had trod onto Gryffindor area as she came to stand behind Harry's chair. 

    "We want Draco back. Give him here, now!" Crabbe and Goyle leered threateningly from behind. Draco had looked up and behind Harry at the mention of his name, but drew back once he saw whom it was who was speaking. Lack of memory notwithstanding, his distaste for the Slytherin girl was obvious. Harry tightened his grip possessively around Draco's middle and pulled him tighter to his chest. 

    "Professor Dumbledore said Malfoy was to have lunch with us," Hermione quickly said, noting Harry's protective attitude and hoping that no one else had seen it. She had been hoping that incident in class earlier was an isolated incident, a fluke, and that she had misread his action earlier but it looked as if Harry's protective instincts were taking an unwholesome (and as far as she cared, unwelcome) interest in Malfoy. 

    Pansy stuck her small pug nose in the air, as though she was greatly offended. "Draco is a _~Slytherin~_. He is having lunch with us, aren't you Draco?" 

    Everyone turned to the blonde. He looked up at Harry, his bottom lip sticking out slightly; then glanced back behind Harry at Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. A determined look came to light in Draco's silvery eyes and his lips tightened. "I am saying here," he declared in a soft-spoken voice, a trill of ice running through it that was familiar to all at the table. Pansy looked shocked at Draco's declaration, while the others were shocked at how young he sounded, and the dawning realization that during the last twenty minutes not a one of them had heard him speak a single word. "I," he continued softly, looking up at Harry with a slightly possessive look in his eyes, "am not leaving." With that he leaned back into Harry's chest and wrapped his arms around the arm wrapped around his chest, his silver eyes all but daring anyone to try to remove him. 

    Silence enveloped the table, and part of the table next to them, as everyone who had been listening absorbed what they had heard. Pansy's face turned an unattractive shade of red as snickering started from the next table, everyone had heard the night before of her plans for Malfoy, and everyone found it amusing that even as a child Malfoy didn't want her near him. She was about loose what little control of her temper she had and snatch the blonde child from Harry when someone cleared his throat behind her. 

    "Is there something wrong Miss Parkinson?" a chilling voice drawled. All turned and saw Professor Snape, with Professor McGonagall next to him, standing behind the trio of Slytherins with one of the coldest looks any of them had seen outside the Potions classroom. 

    Pansy paled immediately, but Slytherin bravado kicked in. "N-no, sir. Nothing is wrong. We were… just checking to see how Draco was since he missed class… shouldn't he be having lunch with us…" 

    "No, Miss Parkinson, he is not," Professor McGonagall spoke up, wanting to squash any potential trouble before it got any further. "The Headmaster clearly said that Mister Malfoy was to have lunch with Mister Potter and return to the Hospital Wing, where he will stay until a counter potion is administered. There will be no more on this subject, is that understood?" 

    Everyone mutely nodded. 

    "Then, Miss Parkinson, Mister Crabbe, Mister Goyle, you may return to your table." Under Snape's cold gaze the three Slytherins slunked back to their table. The Gryffindors kept their laughing at bay only because Professor Snape was present. "Longbottom, twenty points from Gryffindor for blowing up your cauldron!" With a searching look at Harry and Draco, Snape swung around, his robes billowing around them in a way the students had yet to figure out how to emulate and strode to the staff's table. McGonagall gave Harry a searching look herself, privately wondering why things kept happening to the poor boy before she too turned and strode purposely to the staff table. 

    "Ooh…" a low moan escaped from Neville as he knocked his head against the table, narrowly missing his plate. 

    "Cheer up mate," Seamus told him encouragingly, giving him another hearty wack on the back. "You have to look on the bright side of things. Sure, you may have lost us twenty points, and in the first class of the first day of the year, but you have given us several weeks of class without Malfoy." 

    "Yeah," Ron said, smiling at Neville. "It's worth the twenty points not to have class with the ferret." 

    "Ron!" Hermione hissed, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Harry and Malfoy. Harry was still holding the Slytherin tight, and he didn't seem to be aware of doing so. Malfoy was glaring at Ron, and from the cold look in his eyes she would almost swear that he was planning something. She mentally sighed, somehow knowing that this was going to be a long several weeks and took a long drink from her goblet.   
  
* * * * * 

    "Puppy dog tails," Hermione told the Fat Lady and the picture swung aside, revealing the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. "I swear," she murmured lightly, "the passwords get stranger every year." 

    Ron gave her a puzzled look. "What's so strange about puppy dog tails?" he asked as he followed her through the portal and into the common room. Hermione stepped aside and gave Ron a puzzled look, which quickly changed into realization. 

    "It is a saying from a Muggle nursery rhyme," she informed him. "It is one of the things that little boys are made of." 

    The redhead paused in the doorway and gave Hermione a worried look. "Right," he muttered and continued into the room, giving Harry room to enter. He would never figure out Muggles. Who in their right mind would think something as silly as that? Behind Ron, walking slower than his two friends, came Harry. While all three were tired from their last class, Harry's slow pace was due more to the limp blonde Slytherin he was carrying than from the exhaustion that was clearly etched on his face. 

    Ron and Hermione watched in silence as Harry entered the room, the portrait swinging shut behind him. He shuffled Malfoy in his arms, shuffling him from one side to the other. The sleeping child muttered softly in protest, then snuggled his face into Harry's neck, causing Ron's stomach to lurch uncomfortably. 

    "I can't believe that we are going to be stuck with the ferret until he is back to normal," Ron hissed darkly in a low voice. Hermione and Harry had both laid into him earlier for speaking loudly, neither of them wanted to wake Malfoy. Hermione had pointed out to him that a sleeping Malfoy was better than an awake and irritating Malfoy. Ron had conceded to her wisdom (and glare) and had lowered the volume. The longer the annoying ferret child slept, the better it was for him. He was _not_ happy about it, but then, he wasn't happy about any of the situation. 

    Hermione sighed, understanding Ron's frustration and irritation completely. Who would have thought that _~Malfoy~_ of all people would throw a pitched fit to keep from being removed from Harry? Madam Pomfrey swore that she had never seen the like, and somehow Ron had been kicked in the face, giving him a black eye. They had ended up having to take Malfoy to Care of Magical Creatures with them, where all the Slytherins gave them the evil eye while Hargrid introduced them to their class project for the year. After that, no one had time to glare at them, as Harry, Ron and Hermione's worst fear came to life, creatures just as bad as hydras. Rocs. 

    Hagrid had them divide into pairs, giving Harry a sympathetic look as he did so. Harry had been paired with, of course, Malfoy, who had spent most of the class clinging to Harry's robes and giving the roc they were in charge of apprehensive looks. No one made fun of Malfoy for that, as most of the class was giving their rocs the same looks, some liberally laced with worry and fear. Newly hatched roc chicks were the size of large dogs, and they could easily snap a hand off if one wasn't careful. 

    Harry was having the worst of it, having to feed and watch over a hungry chick that would snap at anything in snapping range and Malfoy. Halfway through the class, not wanting to be near the roc chick any more, Malfoy had wandered off and only a sharp yelp of pain from Neville and laughter from some of the Slytherins had caused Harry to look for his charge. 

    The class had ended with Harry, Ron and Hermione the worst for wear, the latter two taking on most of the responsibility of Harry's roc while Harry watched over Malfoy as the little blonde Slytherin wouldn't let anyone else but Harry within touching distance. Neville was limping, not due to an incident with the roc that he and Pansy were taking care of, but due to the surprisingly strong kick in the shins that Malfoy had graced him with. On the way back to the Gryffindor tower, Malfoy, who insisted that Harry carry him, had fallen asleep… 

    "Where are you going!" Ron demanded sharply, drawing Hermione out of her thoughts and back to the present. Harry had made his way across the common room and was about to start up the stairs to the dorm rooms. 

    "Up to our dorm, of course," Harry said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I am going to dump Draco in my bed before my arms fall off." 

    "Oh, no, you're not! Not in our dorm!" Ron hissed as he marched across the room, his head shaking wildly. "Malfoy is _~not~_ sleeping in the same room as me! And when the hell did he become Draco!? Just dump him on a sofa or something." 

    "Shush, you will wake him!" Harry hissed back. "He is a little boy…" 

    "…monster…" Ron inserted under his breath low enough that Harry couldn't hear him. 

    "…who needs his sleep. I am not dumping him on the sofa or anywhere else where someone can come by and disturb him. And he asked me to call him Draco." 

    Hermione's eyebrows arched at that. She had not heard Malfoy say that, it must have happened in History of Magic before Harry had caught her attention, but she had noticed, unlike Ron, that Malfoy would not answer Harry unless he called him by his given name. 

    "When the hell did that happen!" Ron demanded, earning a smile from Hermione that nether teen saw. Harry scowled at Ron, cuddling the small body close. Hermione's smile faded. Harry was getting way to protective of Malfoy, she was going to have to sit him down and give him a good talking to about that, and soon. The pair disappeared from view, and Hermione made her way to her dorm room to drop off her books and supplies. There was a good hour and half before dinner was served, and she wanted to spend as much of it as possible in the library looking up age regression potions. Things were going to become worse, she knew, before they became better, and she had the feeling that she would be wanting all the information she could get before this mess was done and over with.   
  
To be continued…   
  
    Hello everyone!! First off, I would like to apologise for how long it has been since I have updated. Real Life stepped in, (i.e. crashed hard drive) and so did a nasty bit of writers block, but now, finally, here is chapter three. I do hope you all enjoy it, and please be a bit patient, as I have no clue whatsoever when chapter four will be coming out, but I can tell you that we will be getting things from Draco's pov. Now, I would like to thank all the wonderful people who have reviewed the last two chapters. Thank you Lanna, Kai Michi, Val Mora, Scratches, Myrtle-Pyrtle, Youko Gingitsune, Jedi Cosmos, IceFire, mandraco, Xanpetuk, heehee, Lichan, Klee, Laney, CrystalStarGuardian, SailorChibi, whitebearwrites, tsuki neko, Darklites, Mida, kcgal, sev's-gurl, Remy, bwaybaby79, Protector of the Little People, sm, Anna, Warui Warui Neko, Yanagi-sen, Antigone, Enjeru, Linda, gwen, Myr, Lady Malfoy, ichigatsu, Joydrop, and ladyeclectic. *deep breath*   
Ja ne   
=^._.^= 


	4. Memories to Remember

Disclaimer -   
    As usual, all characters in this story belong to the greatly talented writer J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Bros. and all are being used without knowledge and permission. This story shall eventually lead off into shounen ai slash, which translates into a romantic boy/boy story. Light snogging shall eventually appear, at the very end of the story so please consider yourself warned.   
    Also, this chapter has direct spoilers for the first four books, so you have been warned.   
Lady Koneko   
=^._.^=   


Harry Potter   
To Have and Protect   
  
Chapter Four   
'Memories to Remember'   
  


    Yawning, Harry climbed into bed. What a day it had been. As he placed his glasses and wand on the table next to him, he thought back to Potions, when he, Ron and Hermione were talking about Malfoy, how he was acting, and what his possible plans were. Who knew then what would happen. He looked over at the small blond head resting on his pillow. Who would have thought that Malfoy... Draco, would insist on staying with him? Who would have thought that he would have been such a cute kid... ermmm... okay, he thought Draco was a cute kid. All the others thought Draco was still a right proper prat, just a lot smaller. And he had to admit; they did have a point. Why was Draco treating him different? He was the only person Draco would listen to, would even politely acknowledge, truth be told. Ron's black eye was nearly faded, but Neville had been kicked several more times after Draco had gotten up from his nap. He mostly ignored Hermione, and treated poor Crookshanks like he was a stuffed toy. Crookshanks didn't seem to mind, up until Draco had tried to carry him off. Harry smiled, the memory of Crookshanks hanging out of Draco's arms -the cat was nearly as big as Draco- and Hermione's reaction to the 'abuse' of her poor cat had been rather funny. Not that he would admit that to Hermione. Ron had not been able to muffle his laughter, and had been rounded out by Hermione before she managed to wrestle her cat away from Draco. She had huffed to her dormitory, Crookshanks held tightly in her arms, and he could have sworn he had seen a feline look of relief on the fat cat's face before they whipped around the corner. 

    Draco had been put out with 'his' kitty gone, but after a bit of pouting had come to sit next to him on the sofa while he worked on his homework. Draco had drifted off, leaning against him with one hand clutching his robe. Ron had made gagging noises when he noticed and Harry had carried him up to his dorm. Thankfully, Ron did not say anything this time. Draco's trunk had been brought up to the Gryffindor Tower by the house elves, and they had magically re-sized all the clothing to fit Draco's childish frame. He had dressed Draco into a pair of pajamas and tucked him into bed. Then he had gone back down to do more work on his History of Magic essay. 

    Yawning again, Harry blew out the candle and lay down, pulling the covers up. He gave Draco one last look before closing his eyes.   
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   


    _It was the first flying lesson of the year, and things were not going as he had thought they would. As he had expected, his broom had jumped into his hand at his command, one of the few that did. To his great amusement, Weasley's broom had jerked up and smacked him smartly in the face. But, unexpectedly, Potter's broom had leaped up into his hand as fast as his had. That had not boded well. Then, when Madame Hooch walked down the line, she had corrected his grip,_ ~in front of the entire class!~ _He had seen the twin smirks on Potter and the Weasel's faces, and it had infuriated him._

    _He had thought things were taking a turn for the better when the near squib Longbottom had lost control of his broom and had fallen off, breaking his arm and requiring Madam Hooch to take him to the Hospital Wing. He had seen the glass orb fall out of Longbottom's robes on impact, and he knew that this was the perfect way to have a bit of sport with Potter without the meddling of an adult teacher. He had no idea that Potter would be a natural at flying, with an in-air grace that totally flabbergasted him._

    _The realization that he was outclassed in the air, -after years of flying- by a muggle-raised muggle-lover sat like a rock in his stomach, and he threw the rememberall high in the air with a taunting challenge. He never thought that Potter would take him up on it, had no idea the heavy weight in his stomach would increase and his blood would freeze in his veins as he watched the dark-haired, emerald eyed boy race to the ground at neck-breaking speed..._   
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   


    _She terrified him more than anything he knew in the world. And while he was only four years old, he knew that Grandmother did it on purpose. She ~enjoyed~ scarring him, and nothing he said to his parents prevented her from tormenting him._

    _One evening she came to tell him a story, it was the first time she had ever did so, and the last as she parted from the world of the living not to long after. She sat on the edge of his bed, her white hair and pale skin making her look like one of the Manor's ghosts. She had leaned over him to tuck him in, forcing the covers tight around his body and across his neck._

    "Would you like me to tell you a story?" _she asked, her voice crackling with age._

    _It was not a question, and he knew better than to refuse. He nodded slightly, a shiver raking his body when she smiled down at him._

    "Once upon a time, there was this lovely little boy who lived in a great manor house on the edge of the dark forest. His mummy and daddy always told him to never enter the forest," _she bore steely cold eyes into his soft silver ones, "but do you know what he did?"_

    _He shook his head._ "No," _he whispered, rightly afraid of where the story was going._

    _She shook her head in denial of his statement._ "Oh, yes you do." _She smiled_. "He went into the forest one day, and he met a werewolf. Then he died and everyone forgot about him, and we all lived happily ever after..."   
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   


    _Normally he would have enjoyed a trip into Knockturn Alley, but Father was in a rotten mood of sorts, something about Ministry raids and muggle loving fools. Actually, fools was not the word Father had used; he had been listening at the study door the night before and if he was ever caught using the words Father had been using, well, he could kiss his new broom goodbye until next year. He had been planning on seeing if he could badger his father into getting him some sort of present as well, some sort of Dark Arts artifact would suit perfectly. When they had been in Knockturn Alley last year, he had seen all sorts of interesting things in the windows of Borgin and Burks, and he was planning on taking something home from there as well as Quality Quidditch Supplies._

    _The moment he stepped into Borgin and Burks though, Father had told him to touch nothing, just when he was starting to investigate various items. He did not let that stop him, however, and began to look at the items in his immediate area as Father and Mister Borgin started to talk. He found one item of extreme interest, a Hand of Glory. He had read about them, and it would be practical to own, would make sneaking around Hogwarts after curfew much easier. Unfortunately Father was not keen on the idea, and it also lead to Father growling about his grades and how a mudblood Gryffindor beat him in every class._

    _As Father returned to his discussion with Mister Borgin, he continued to look at the items for sale. An opal necklace gave him a bit of amusement, but when he lifted his eyes from the accompanying card, he swore he saw a glimmer of emerald coming from a cabinet against the wall in front of him. The emerald glow reminded him of the emerald eyes that haunted his dreams since he was a small child._

    Potter's eyes, _he thought absently and started walking toward the cabinet. Whatever was glowing emerald from that cabinet, he wanted it. He was seconds from finding out, his fingers brushing the handle, when Father called for him. For a second, the thought of disobeying his father and finding out what was in the cabinet flashed across his mind, but disobeying Father had never been bright, and whatever was in the cabinet, he suddenly did not want Father to see._

    _As he was going around the corner to the exit of Knockturn Alley, he swung his head for one last glance at Borgin and Burks and saw the thin, dark-haired frame of Potter exiting the store..._   
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   


    _Great Aunt Isodol's private study was his favorite place in the entire Manor to hide. It had sat unused for nearly a hundred years before he found it, no one -not even the house elves- had been there since she had disgraced the family name and had been disowned. He had stumbled across the hidden room several years earlier and had quickly claimed it as his own._

    _Aunt Isodol had been a rarity in the family, a Ravenclaw in a family of Slytherins, and her study reflected the fact, not a trace of green to be seen anywhere in the room. White oak paneling and various shades of blue velvet and silk were everywhere, making it seem as though all the sky and blue sea was captured and held in the room. And over the mantle, dressed in blue silk and mocking silver eyes flashing, was a portrait of Isodol herself, the main reason he always returned to the room._

    _Today was the day after his ninth birthday, and he wanted to show Aunt Isodol the birth gift he had received from Grandmummy, a beautiful deck of tarot cards. He quickly told Isodol about the cards as he showed them to her, how Grandmummy told him that he had the gift with the tarot, and that when he went to Hogwarts in a couple of years he would learn all about his gift. After telling her all about the cards, he had smiled up at her; hugging the cards to his chest, and asked Isodol how often seers were sorted into Ravenclaw._

    _Isodol had not been fast answering the innocent question. The portrait gave him a sad, knowing look, her mocking silver eyes serious for the first time he had ever seen. She spoke softly, telling him that seers usually were sorted into Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Occasionally, one was sorted into Ravenclaw, but the qualities that made one a Ravenclaw were not often found in the romantic and whimsical seer. He frowned up at her, the smile fading from his eyes to be replaced by a confused look. Isodol looked down at him, then off to the side for a moment. When the portrait's gaze returned to his, the silvery eyes were a clouded gray. Despite his gift, she told him in a low voice, he would be sorted into Slytherin, like his father, and his father's father before him._

    _He shook his head, his eyes narrowing ominously, and he told her that she lied, he would not be a Slytherin, he would not, not, not! He ran out of the room, his cards clutched tightly to his chest fighting not to cry._

    _He never returned._   
  
* * * * *   


    Draco awoke slowly, whispers of a dream drifting through his mind. For some reason he had dreamt of an incident that had happened back in fourth year, from the Tri Wizard competition. It had been so real, like he was reliving the experience, back in time to when Harry had undergone the first task, dragons. He shivered, the power from the recalled memory as powerful as it had been that day. Watching as Harry flew against the Hungarian Horntail, summoning his broom, and then playing the most dangerous game a seeker could play. The heavy weight in his stomach as he watched Harry dart around the violent dragon was reminiscent of the way he had felt watching Harry dive after the rememberall in first year, but much worse. If the dragon had got a hold of him... But it had turned out all right, Harry has won, and why was he even thinking about this anyway? He rolled over, snuggling into the warmth that surrounded him. He had not thought about that, or the rememberall, for years... 

    Hold on, wait a second there. Draco's thoughts stilled as he came to a belated realization. He was snuggled into something, something warm, and firm, that was defiantly not his golden goose down feather pillow. Warm, yes. Comfortable, most definatly. His pillow? No way in hell. His pillow was not warm (unless he placed a warming charm on it) and it most definatly did ~_not_~ breath. He was snuggled into a person, identity: unkown. 

    _If it is Pansy I see, I swear no one will ever find her body._ Slowly, with great reluctance tinged with apprehension, Draco opened his eyes. And came face to face with blue-striped cotton. 

    _Well,_ he thought dryly. _Definatly not Pansy._ Pansy would not be caught dead (unfortunaly) in something so... so... common and tasteless. Rumor had it that she wore black silk and lace teddies to bed. He had no intent of finding out if that was true or not. Looking at her in her robes was hard enough. Seeing her with so much skin exposed would scar him for life. 

    _Not a female at all..._ his thoughts drifted. His head was resting on a gently moving chest, one unadorned with feminine embellishments. 

    _Too thin to be either Crabbe or Goyle... and Zabini is never this peaceful in sleep._ Besides, none of them had reason to crawl into his bed, and after sharing a dorm room for five years, all three of them had enough in the way of self preservation going for them not to. 

    Draco looked up from the cotton his nose was pressed against, and saw scarlet velvet bed curtains. His breath froze in his lungs. 

    _Gryffindor... I am in Gryffindor..._ Now how the hell had ~_that_~ happened? After all, when he had prepared for bed the night before Draco's thought process slowed to a crawl, slid into reverse, and he quickly went over the previous days events in high gear. Something had gone tragically wrong. He had gone to breakfast, first one of the year. Check. Smirking smugly at Harry, anticipating the day's events. Check. Going to Potions and sitting near Harry so he could enjoy the day's lesson. Check. Noting the strange, apprehensive looks that Harry had kept sending him... hmm... suspicious that. Should check it out later. Longbottom's cauldron blowing up at the table in front of his... 

    _Longbottom's cauldron blew up, and then what?_ He recalled a blur of images, a giant, scowling dark figure, soft sympathetic emerald eyes, firm gentle arms carrying him... His eyes widened as the previous day's memories slowly returned. Soft emerald gazing at him, protective arms embracing him. Waking in the Hospital Wing, whispers of memories floating through his mind. Harry holding him, carrying him, even feeding him in the Great Hall... 

    Slowly he crawled out of Harry's arms and sat next to him. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was in his sapphire blue silk pajamas, and that they had been shrunk to fit his childish frame. 

    _Longbottom is going to die. How the hell did that incompetent squib want-to-be manage to cause his potion to...do...this..._ Wait... Not unless... No. How could have Longbottom possibly come in possession of the cauldron he had prepared for Harry. But come in possession he must have. 

    _That would have done it,_ he thought reluctantly. The solution he had coated Harry's cauldron with had powerful transfiguration properties, and if things had gone as planned, Harry would have gone through an embarrassing, if temporary transformation. Only God would know how Longbottom had screwed up the potion so badly that it had shrunk him to the size of a five-year-old... 

    _No, wait a moment. Not shrink. What was Professor Dumbledore telling Harry before lunch? Regression potions, was it not?_ Unfortunately he had not been paying much attention to the Headmaster. He recalled being more interested in the beautiful red plummed bird that had been in the corner than in listening to an old man prattle off on something that did not interest him Draco frowned. And why had he not been interested? He loved potions, and while a phoenix was interesting, potions were more so. What if the potion had not only regressed his body, but his mind as well? 

    _They were also talking of a counter potion, if I recall correctly. I am more aware of things today than yesterday, apparently the potion's effects are wearing off... So I should soon return to my normal self. Who knows how long it would take Professor Snape to figure out how Longbottom screwed up and prepare a counter potion._ Of course, things might go a bit faster if he confessed to his little alteration to the potion, but since the Headmaster was involved, it would be a guaranteed detention, and no one willingly volunteered for those. And from what he could remember from the day before, Professor Snape had been in the worst sort of moods about the entire incident; sympathy from that corner would be highly unlikely, and he just might pick up a detention from him as well. 

    _Waiting it out seems to be the best course of action to take,_ he finally decided. _I will have several days free of schoolwork..._ he could always copy notes off of Blase, _and..._ Draco smirked maliciously, a look that made him look like a demon child and would have convinced anyone that regardless on how he had acted the day before that the Draco they all knew and avoided was still in residence. _I will have the perfect opportunity to spy on Harry for days, with no interruptions._ He blinked and realized that during the entire time that he was thinking, he had been staring at the sleeping teen. A small niggle of worry coursed through him, but it was drowned out by the realization that without his glasses and asleep, that Harry looked much younger than his sixteen years. 

    _I do wonder, though..._ Slowly, as though he was in no control of his body, Draco reached out and brushed the hair off of Harry's forehead. While it looked as though it had just gone three rounds with a comb (and won) Harry's dark hair was actually quite soft and silky, not at all like he thought it would be. After a moment, where he took the opportunity to run his hand through Harry's hair, he looked at Harry's forehead, at the ever-so-commented-on scar. Never had he such an opportunity to study it before. Harry's hair almost always covered it, sometimes he thought intentionally, and whenever he looked at Harry he was to busy glaring, scowling and insulting him to pay attention to his scar. But now... _How was he able to survive such a powerful curse?_ He had heard the normal excuse, because of his mother's love, but he really didn't believe it. That would mean that all the other people who sacrificed themselves over the years to protect their children and loved ones, from the day the Avada Kedavra curse had been created, had not loved those they intended to protect. That was hard to believe. Without realizing what he was doing, he gently laid a finger on the silvery smooth skin. A tingling shock ran up his arm and he jerked back in surprise. Simultaneously, a pair of glowing green eyes sprang open, staring straight at him.   
  
* * * * *   


    Harry had been having an unusually pleasant dream of him at the Burrow, where he and Ron were de-gnoming the garden and Hermione was leaning against a tree near them peacefully reading a book. It seemed ages since he had such a simple and peaceful dream that his subconscious just wanted to wallow in it without trying to figure out where it had came from. He had just pitched a gnome some sixty odd-feet, breaking his old record, when a cool tingling ran through him, tickling all his nerves from his hair all the way down to the tips of his toes. He awoke with a shock, his eyes springing open and his gaze locked on a pale blurry form sitting next to him. 

    "Draco?" he murmured softly, blinking his eyes fuzzily. He reached absently for his glasses and a moment later he was looking at Draco, who was gazing back at him nervously. Harry frowned in concern. "Is there something wrong?" 

    _Oh yes,_ Draco thought frantically. _There certainly is something wrong!_ Rapidly he shook his head in denial, not noticing that he had trapped his bottom lip between his teeth. Harry's eyebrows jerked up at the unfamiliar mannerism and Draco suddenly realized what happened and released his lip. He had not bit his lips since he was a small child... Harry gave a quick shake of his head, his lips quirking into a smile so warm that Draco could actually feel it. 

    "Okay then," Harry said softly, looking around for his clock. It had been a gift from Hagrid, and it had a bad tendency to wander off just when you needed it. Ron had suggested that he sello-tape it to his mantle, but he had yet to resort to such measures, but then, he had only owned the clock a month. He would give it a few days to start minding itself before pulling out the tape. Sighing, he pushed aside the velvet curtain and looked out into the room. Early morning light was filtering in through the windows, but everyone else seemed to be still asleep, singling that it was still quite early. 

    "Well," he said, letting the curtain drop. "For some reason it does not surprise me that you're a morning person." Draco just looked up at him, his eyes shining silver innocence. "You being so quiet though, does. For some reason, I thought you would have been a demanding, annoying brat..." Harry's voice trailed off as a spark of something flared in Draco's eyes. "I guess I can live with two out of three being wrong." Draco blinked, wondering which two he was talking about. None seemed flattering... "Lets say we get a shower before everyone else is up, hmmm? Seamus sounds like a banshee in the showers..." And with Draco watching on quietly but with great interest, Harry gathered his bath stuff.   
  
* * * * *   


    Forty minutes later, everyone else was up and about and Harry was getting Draco dressed for the day. Draco had rather enjoyed his shower, surprisingly enough. Gryffindor Tower water pressure was just as good as down in the dungeon, with the added advantage of the rooms not being anywhere near as chilly. He had not been embarrassed of Harry washing him. In fact, it was rather fun. The shower stalls were quite large, and left plenty of room for a smallish five-year-old to maneuver. Having Harry chase him around the stall all soapy while trying to wash him had been the most fun he had had in a long while. 

    "I can't believe that you took him in the showers with you," Ron growled, combing his wet hair neatly. Harry glanced up wistfully. He wished ~his~ hair would behave itself like that. 

    "Ron, Draco is five. You don't honestly expect him to take a shower by himself?" The look he received from Ron clearly stated that yes, as a matter of fact, he did. He sighed, and quickly gave Draco a good look over. The house elves had relocated Draco's trunk next to his (Ron had nearly had a coronary when he had seen it the night before) and Harry had picked out cloths for Draco to wear. It had rather surprised him to discover that most all of Draco's non-school related robes were in shades of blue, as were his underclothes. He had not known that one could find matching boxers, t-shirts and under robes in sky blue silk either. He had found a nice (expensive) pair of dragon hide boots (fortunately black) for him to wear so he wouldn't have to go around barefooted. The shoes he had lost yesterday had not been recoved, and this way Harry would not have to carry Draco around all day. Small or not, his arms still ached a bit from carrying the Slytherin around the day before. All that had to be done now, Harry noted, was to comb Draco's hair. He removed the towel he had wrapped around the blonde's head and picked up his comb. 

    Five minutes later he discovered why Draco always wore his hair slicked back. Draco's hair paid about as much attention to a good combing as his did. After several more minutes of futile combing, Harry left Draco's hair as it was. He was not going to go through the depths of Draco's trunk to find his hair gel, who knew what Draco kept down in there. Draco would just have to live with fluffy waves today. Besides, Harry tilted his head to one side, Draco looked rather cute with his hair like this. Cute and sweet and innocent. Nothing like he usually looked. How did such a cute kid turn into the annoying prat he knew and hated so? 

    "Okay, ready to go down for breakfast?" Harry asked Draco. The blonde child nodded solemnly, but Harry quickly caught the slight twitch of his lips and the silver gleam of amusement in Draco's eyes that gave them a soft blue hue. 

    "Uh, Harry?" Dean was standing next his own bed, pulling on his shoes and giving him a strange look. "You are not really going down to the Great Hall in your bath towels, are you?" 

    Harry froze, turning a startling shade of red as he realized that in all the fuss of getting Draco ready he had forgotten himself. 

    Ron shook his head in great disappointment and Draco smirked to himself as everyone else watched as Harry rushed to get ready.   
  
tbc   
  
* * * * *   


    And I would like to take a moment to thank all the wonderful people who have patiently waited for this installment and who have reviewed the previous chapters, especially those who did multiple reviews. (very thankful, as I am horrible at leaving reviews myself... My deepest apologies to every author marked with a '*' =^.^=) They are as follows:   
    Chapter One - Joydrop, ladyeclectic, CrystalStarGuardian*, Sailor Chibi*, Joydrop, mida, Myrtle-Pyrtle.   
    Chapter Two - Anna ,Warui Warui Neko*, Yanagi-sen, Antigone, Enjeru, linda, heehee, gwen, SailorChibi*, Myr*, Lady Malfoy II*, ichigatsu, Jedi Cosmos, IceFire, mandraco, Lichan*, Klee*, Laney, CrystalStarGuardian*, sev's-gurl, Remy, bwaybaby79, Protector of the Little People, sm, Lanna, xanpetuk, tsuki neko, Darklites, kcgal, Kai Michi, Val Mora, Scratches, Youko Gingitsune.   
    Chapter Three - bwaybaby79, Jane, bondagechic, lorin, Jay, MOI, Kuroi Shi, icy daimon, TwistedSlytherin, xanpetuk, amarante ae,chrisseee667, Kai Michi, Youko Gingitsune, Razzabeth, Myr*, fang, celestinne, lthatcher, di, FifthHeir, Fyrekun, kcgal, Sienna of Lothlorien, Demeter, grey, Lain, Angel, S.Maldiva, Lichan*, Chibi StarFighter, Clara, tsuki neko.   
    And to Demeter, thank you for the comment about the Slytherins. I'm not planning on focusing on them too much, but as I am still figuring out later chapters we will see how they shape up. And as for Draco being a Gryffindor... I never could see him in red. Blue, on the other hand...   
    Also, the little take on Draco's Grandmother's fairy tale is taken from The Tenth Kingdom. No harm intended, and it gives a good idea why Draco doesn't like werewolves, ne?   
    Ja ne until the next chapter. (whenever that will be) 


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